A stay-tab beverage can with protective guard is provided. An example protective guard made integral with beverage cans keeps insects and foreign objects out of the beverage can. Rotating versions of the protective guard can use the existing rivet of a stay-tab to accommodate the protective guard as an add-on to the manufacturing process. Other versions of the protective guard hinge or slide to protect the can's opening. Example designs of the protective guard are attached to the can in various ways, and rotate, flip, or slide to engage the opening of the beverage can. Some example designs of the guard can hold a drinking straw in place, with other versions cap or seal the beverage. A webbed version of the guard provides a grill or grate, while solid flap versions open for fluid flow and close when the flow stops. The protective guards may be made in various commercially desirable shapes and colors.
